Protect Your LinkedIn Account With Two-Step Verification

Two-step verification adds an extra layer of protection to accounts in addition to traditional password-based authentication. Two-step verification is the most popular method to improve account security on the Internet. Internet companies such as Google, Dropbox, Yahoo, Twitter and more have already adopted the two-step verification feature to improve security. LinkedIn announced that it has implemented two-step verification for sign-in for all accounts on the professional social network site to improve account security.

Two-step verification feature on your LinkedIn account is not enabled by default. You need to manually enable it (see how to enable two-factor authentication below) to protect your LinkedIn account from attacks. When you enable two-step verification on your LinkedIn account, you will need to type a six-digit security code (which will be sent to you via text message on your mobile phone) in addition to your LinkedIn account password.

How do I enable two-step verification on my LinkedIn account?

Here’s a quick walk-through on how to enable two-step verification option for your LinkedIn account.

Open the LinkedIn Settings either directly with a click on this link, or move your cursor over your profile photo at the upper right of your homepage and select Settings. You may be asked to sign in again for verification.

Here, click on the Account side tab (next to the shield icon towards the bottom of the page) and select Manage security settings from the list of options.

To enable two-step verification click on the Turn On link under the Two-step verification for sign-in section.

LinkedIn will now ask you to enter a cell phone number to send you a verification code. Make changes to the country selected by default here if your country is not selected automatically. Click Send Code.

LinkedIn will send a verification code to the cell phone number you entered in the earlier step. Once you receive the verification code on your cell phone, enter it into the box on the device you’re using to sign. Click Verify.

Two-step verification should now be enabled on your LinkedIn account. For added security, enable the check box (if not checked) under Secure connection to turn on Secure Browsing (HTTPS) on your account. Click Done.

Note: The next time you sign in to your LinkedIn account from a new device, you will be asked to enter the verification along with your account username and password. LinkedIn automatically approves the browser that you have just used to enable the feature.

Some LinkedIn partner applications aren’t fully integrated with the two-step verification process. They will simply show an invalid email or password message when you try to sign in for the first time. If you’re signing into one of these applications after turning on two-step verification, check your SMS on your mobile device after your first attempt to sign in, to get the verification code. Sign in again using your password followed by the verification code (with no space in-between) that was sent to your mobile device.

How to change cell phone number used for LinkedIn two-step verification?

The phone number will not be displayed automatically on your LinkedIn profile and does not need to be associated with it at all on the site. You will be able to change your cell phone number from the same page where you enabled two-step verification.

How to turn off LinkedIn two-step verification?

Visit the same page from where you turned on two-step verification (See the steps outlined above).

Click Turn off under the Two-step verification section.

Click Done.

Note: After turning off two-step verification, LinkedIn will also forget all previously recognized devices and you’ll only need your username and password to sign in again.